The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Opoku Ansah, has firmly rejected recent calls made by former Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu, which urged New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs contesting the upcoming elections as independent candidates to vacate their parliamentary seats.
Haruna Iddrisu made the call while addressing a campaign event in the Tamale North constituency, suggesting that the Minority caucus could invoke Article 97 (1)(g) of the 1992 Constitution to force the Speaker of Parliament to declare those seats vacant. According to this article, MPs who resign from their party or contest as independent candidates may forfeit their parliamentary positions.
In response, Davis Opoku Ansah strongly disagreed with the suggestion, arguing that such a move would be unconstitutional. He emphasized that the MPs in question remain members of the NPP and have not resigned from the party, a necessary condition for invoking Article 97 (1)(g). He urged Haruna Iddrisu and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to refrain from attempting to trigger such a clause in Parliament, especially considering the current political landscape.
“Haruna Iddrisu and the NDC side should not trigger any such clause. They should not trigger any such clause in Parliament because already, the 137-137 Parliament that we have is causing a lot of problems,” Opoku Ansah stated.
He added, “I mean, we have less than three months to an election, and we are praying that we see this Parliament through for Ghanaians to decide. I strongly urge that it is not proper, it is unconstitutional to want to say that an MP who was duly elected by the people, not by the party—he was elected by the people—and decides in a future election to contest on a different ticket will cease to be a Member of Parliament.”
Opoku Ansah’s remarks were particularly pointed in reference to a similar situation in 2020 when the seat of Fomena MP, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, was declared vacant. Amoako, now the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, had announced his intention to run as an independent candidate after accusing the NPP of undermining his candidacy, leading to his loss in the party’s parliamentary primaries. Following this, the NPP declared his seat vacant.
Davis Opoku Ansah disagreed with the decision made at the time, arguing that the party’s actions were wrong and set a bad precedent. “It was wrong for Professor [Aaron Mike] Oquaye to have ruled that way. It is not about individuals, it is about what the law says. It was wrong then, it is wrong now, and it should be wrong in the near future,” he said.
He further pointed out that many people in the Santrokofi, Akpafu, Lipke, and Lolobi (SALL) areas have expressed dissatisfaction with their lack of representation in Parliament. Opoku Ansah warned against taking drastic steps to remove MPs who choose to run as independent candidates, citing the importance of representation for constituents. “Because somebody has decided to contest in a future election, you say you are taking that person out,” he noted.
As the 2024 parliamentary elections approach, the political atmosphere is charged, with several MPs who are currently sitting on NPP tickets opting to contest as independent candidates. Among them is Andrew Asiamah Amoako, the current Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and MP for Fomena, who, according to Haruna Iddrisu, has crossed the carpet once again to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming elections, despite filing to run under the NPP’s ticket.
In addition to Amoako, other NPP MPs, including Cynthia Mamle Morrison of Agona East and Kwadwo Asante of Suhum, have also filed to contest the 2024 parliamentary elections as independent candidates. Despite this, they continue to serve in Parliament under the NPP banner, creating tension within the party and raising questions about the enforcement of constitutional provisions related to party affiliation and independent candidacies.
Haruna Iddrisu’s argument hinges on Article 97 (1)(g), which states that any MP who resigns from their party or declares an intention to run as an independent candidate can lose their seat. However, the interpretation and application of this constitutional provision have been the subject of debate, especially in cases where MPs remain officially affiliated with their party while pursuing independent bids. This legal ambiguity has prompted heated exchanges between party leaders and MPs, with potential implications for how parliamentary representation is handled in the future.
For Davis Opoku Ansah, the focus should remain on respecting the will of the people who elected these MPs, regardless of their future political ambitions. “The MP was elected by the people, not by the party,” he emphasized, calling for a more thoughtful approach to parliamentary representation in the run-up to the elections.
The debate over whether MPs running as independent candidates should vacate their seats is likely to continue as the 2024 elections draw closer. However, with significant political stakes on the line and only a few months remaining until the election, it remains to be seen whether any action will be taken by the NDC or other political actors to enforce Article 97 (1)(g). For now, the focus remains on navigating the complex political dynamics that will shape the upcoming elections and the future of parliamentary representation in Ghana.
